News

 As Winchester's Estate Agents we take pride in providing you the latest news from Winchester, the property market and about our charity efforts. Have a read through the articles below to see what we have been up to and happenings in the property market.

Each year the staff at Belgarum Estate Agent elect a charity to become the charity of the year. This decision is made by staff and the vote firmly went to local charity Key Changes Music Therapy.

Our community is important to us because it is exactly that, our community. As most of our staff are residents in Winchester and the surrounding villages we are always looking for ways to make a difference where we can in our community. 

Belgarum had a great 2015 in terms of business accomplishments, achieving their best ever figures to date, but also in terms of the voluntary and fundraising contributions and commitment made by staff for their 2015 Charity of the Year, Trinity Winchester. 

As an industry I think that we need to shape up and start calling a spade a spade. The fact is that the majority of deals "go wrong" through no fault of the agent, but because one or the other of the two principals involved (i.e. the seller and the buyer) simply change their minds for one reason or another!

We feel that it is absolutely scandalous that in this day and age some letting agents still don't have any proper arrangements in place to protect client monies. You would think that someone, somewhere should be doing something about this?

The government's Right to Rent legislation commences from 1st February 2016. This will requires all private landlords in England, including people who sub-let or even just take in lodgers, to check that any new tenants have the right to be in the UK, before renting out their property to them. Failure to check could result in a fine of up to £3,000 per tenant, if they are subsequently found to be here illegally.

In the recent Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that the government will introduce a new 3 per cent stamp duty surcharge on additional properties purchased from 01 April 2016.